Do you think grammar and good spelling matter less in the blogosphere?
When teaching our clients how to blog for business, we always recommend they adopt a more personable, conversational tone when writing. A business blog is not the place to do a hard sell or use complicated jargon. While the tone might be more casual in your blog, this is no reason to let your spelling or grammar standards slip.
Ten years ago when I first started teaching public relations skills, I recommended a certain grammar guide which sat on my desk at work and which I constantly referred to. While I have been writing professionally for many years, that style guide is one I still use. Grammar basics may come more naturally to me now, but I can still get caught out on some of the more complicated aspects of it, which is where the grammar guide comes in.
By your writing, you shall be known
Despite falling standards in grammar, many people will still judge you by your writing. Grammatical and spelling errors on your blog, your Facebook updates, your emails, and your company website damages your credibility and authority as an expert in your field. However unfair this may seem – after all a grammar mistake or two doesn’t mean you are any less competent at your job – the reality is that when you need to make a good impression online, good grammar makes good business sense.
Tomorrow, we will take a look at some of the most common grammatical errors people make in their writing, and show you how to avoid them.
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